Bilawal asks Sindh and AJK government to lift ban on students unions

Islamabad January 15, 2016: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari today asked the PPP governments in Sindh and AJK to
lift the decades- old ban on students union in academic institutions allowing the students to participate in healthy democratic activities in preparation for their future role in national politics. He also asked the two governments to make appropriate legislation and rules in this regard.

He gave this call during his meeting with delegation of the activists of Peoples Students Federation (PSF) from KPK that called on him in the Zardari House today.

Giving details of today’s activities Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the PSF was one of the six delegations that called on him Friday evening as part of the PPP chairman’s political stock taking in the federal capital focusing on the Party matters in KPK and FATA. The other party delegations who called on him earlier in the day included the lawyers, the youth, the labour, the minority and the women wing all of KPK chapters.

The three decade old ban on students union is part of the disastrous legacy of military dictator Zia that must be banished, the sooner the better, Bilawal said adding “the PPP must take a lead in illuming the path in this regard”.

He said that he was happy that the Senate had also recently taken up the issue. While it is commendable that the senate is deliberating on it I urge the ppp governments in Sindh and AJK to take appropriate measures urgently to lift the ban on students unions, he said.

He said that removing ban on student unions would promote democratic
culture and even encourage promotion of an environment of discussion, debate and tolerance.

Those who argue that union activity would promote violence are betraying a mindset that distrusts the youth, he said. Democratic traditions in the country will stand to gain if discussion and debate as part of the democratic culture was also promoted in the academic institutions.

Earlier addressing the various wings of the Party’s KPK chapter Chairman Bilawal said that the PPP was an ideological party and together we will dispel the fears that the Party was deviating from its ideological moorings.

Let me make it clear; the Party’s ideology more than any individual will be the force to motivate, drive, lead and inspire the workers, the students, the peasants, the labor, the teachers and the general public, he said.

Losing or wining an election does not matter as much as adherence to
ideological principles does, Bilawal said. It was our ideology that enabled us to fight the military dictatorship of Zia and Musharraf and a civilian dictatorship wanting to become ‘ameerul momineen’ the so called leader of the faithful. We must struggle for our cause and for our principles; we will, he said.